


In the Details

by DNAchemLia



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Case Fic, Gen, Mourning, Post-Episode: s03e24 A Devil of My Word, Reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 08:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15115790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DNAchemLia/pseuds/DNAchemLia
Summary: Aftermath of A Devil of My Word from Dan's point of view. As everyone deals with the consequences of the confrontation with Pierce, Dan struggles to find a way back to normal. When he's forced to work with Lucifer, however, normal gets thrown out the window.





	In the Details

Dan brought the car to a screeching halt before flinging open the door and jumping out without bothering to turn off the engine. He started to run towards the entrance of the building where he had sent Chloe and Lucifer unknowingly into a trap set by that bastard Pierce.

 

“Dan, wait!”

 

“Stay in the car, Ella!” he barked over his shoulder and continued running. The sound of hurried footsteps behind him told him she had ignored his orders and he finally stopped, turning to catch her as she barreled into him.

 

“I told you--”

 

“Hey! No  _ way _ ! You have no idea what you’re running into.”

 

“Neither do you.”

 

“What I  _ do  _ know is it’s crazy running into who-knows-what without backup.” She took a breath. “And  _ running _ in is even crazier.”

 

“We can’t get a hold of Chloe. We heard gunshots. I need to get in there, now!”

 

“With backup.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Hey, I’m all you’ve got.”

 

Dan almost growled in frustration, knowing there was no dissuading her. “Fine. Let’s go.”

 

When they reached the door to the building it was unlocked and ajar. Dan un-holstered his weapon and cautiously opened the door the rest of the way, before sweeping the area with his gun raised in front of him. He waited in silence for some sign of danger but nothing happened. Finally he lowered his weapon and slowly made his way down the dim hallway with Ella following behind until he reached a staircase. He paused again, listening intently for any sign of human presence. 

 

“This place is creepy,” Ella whispered and he motioned for her to be quiet, silently agreeing with her assessment. Finally he started up the stairs as he remained on high alert for any hint of a threat. At the top of the stairs Dan carefully opened the door to find a hallway stacked with boxes and crates. He wove his way through them, heading towards the brighter end of the hall which opened into a large room with columns and a wide sweeping staircase. He could see a large hole in the wall above the staircase, what had once been a window but was now broken, a few shards still visible in the frame.

 

“Looks like a bomb went off in here,” he muttered, stepping over broken boxes and chips of marble. He had almost reached the end of the hall when he encountered the first body, a large, bald man with several holes in his chest. He spotted another, younger man near the base of one of the columns, face-down and unmoving.  His gaze was soon drawn to the center of the room to a third body which he recognized as Pierce. The sharp gasp behind him told him Ella had recognized it as well.

 

“Chloe!” he called as he quickly made his way over to Pierce, reaching down to check for a pulse and finding none. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to find Chloe huddled at the base of the steps, her wide-eyed gaze fixed on Pierce.

 

“Oh, thank God,” he exclaimed, barely registering Chloe’s flinch at his words as he rushed over to her. “Are you OK?” She gave a slight nod and he scanned the room. “Where’s Lucifer?”

“Gone,” she replied in a cracked whisper.

 

Dan felt his heart sink and scanned the room again, expecting to find a slim, suit-clad body crumpled in some corner, but there was no sign of the other man, only broken glass, wood splinters, and… Were those feathers? He saw Ella crouching next to Pierce’s body, an odd look on her face as she examined the red-stained hole in his chest.

 

“What happened?”

 

Chloe shook her head as she continued to stare at Pierce. Dan sighed and pulled out his phone to call for backup. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew through the window, nearly knocking him over. He immediately moved to protect Chloe as debris started to fly in the swirling wind that has engulfed the room.

 

“Ella!” 

 

A few heartbeats later he felt small arms wrap around him and a face press against his back. He carefully shifted her so she was crouched in front of him as he used his body to protect both women from the onslaught. In less than a minute, it was over.

 

Dan cautiously raised his head and looked around, noting that most of the room remained intact. The only thing missing was--

 

“What happened to the feathers?” Ella whispered.

 

“I have a better question: where the hell did that wind come from?”

 

“A warning.”

 

Dan looked at Chloe, who wore the same expression she had when he first found her. “What do you mean, Chloe? What warning?”

 

She shook her head again and lapsed back into silence. Dan sighed and finished the call to the precinct, explaining as little as he could over the phone. Once he was sure they were on their way he returned his attention to their only witness.

 

“Chloe, what happened? On the phone you said you found out it was a trap the hard way and that Lucifer saved you. How?”

 

Chloe took a shuddering breath and started to reply in a flat, almost robotic voice.

 

“We got here, Pierce and his men showed up. He wanted to kill Lucifer.” She shuddered again. “I shot him and someone shot me.”

 

“What!?” Dan started to check her over and she pulled down her collar to reveal the bullet imbedded in her vest. “Damn, we need to get you to a hospital.” He pulled out his phone again but she gently grabbed his wrist. 

 

“No, I’m...fine. It just...knocked the wind out of me. Next thing I knew, we were on a roof, about a block away. Lucifer said I was OK, and then...he was gone.” She let out a soft, hysterical giggle. “It’s all true…”

 

“How did you get back here?” Ella asked. “What happened to Pierce?”

 

“She said she shot him,” Dan snapped and Ella shook her head. 

 

“That wound is not from a gun. Looks like he was stabbed with something short and curved.”

 

“Like one of Maze’s knives?” Ella’s eyes widened and she nodded. “Chloe, was Maze here? Did she kill Pierce?”

 

“No… I… I don’t know.”

 

Dan sighed and spoke to her in his gentlest voice. “Chloe, how did you get back here?”

 

“I heard gunshots. I ran as fast as I could. I saw…” Shuddered and closed her eyes. “I saw… Pierce was dead, and… it was… a nightmare.”

 

“OK.” He sat on the steps next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him, shaking. “It’s OK.” She nodded and closed her eyes, soon slumping against him as she lost consciousness. He checked her pulse and it was slow and steady. “You’ll be OK.”

 

“Now what?” Ella whispered.

 

“We’ll figure this out. See if you can find Lucifer, see what he knows.”

 

“Got it.” Ella pulled out her phone and made the call. “Huh. He’s not answering. It’s going to voicemail. Hey, Lucifer, it’s Ella. Call me back, OK?” 

 

“Try Maze.”

 

“OK… Huh. No answer from her, either. Maze, it’s Ella. Call me back. It’s important.” She hung up and looked at Dan. “Anyone else?”

 

Dan unlocked his own phone and scanned through his contact list before selecting a name. He sighed when the brief message reached his ear. “Amenadiel, it’s Dan. Need your help, bro. Call me.”

 

Ella glanced at Chloe and selected another number. “Finally! Linda, it’s Ella. Have you talked to Lucifer, or maybe Maze...What? Seriously? Holy crap! No. No, I haven’t seen him.” She glanced at Pierce’s body, anger flashing in her eyes. “Tell Maze she doesn’t have to worry about that. OK. OK, I’ll be in touch. Thanks.” She met Dan’s questioning gaze. “Maze is at Linda’s office. Pierce drugged her and held her captive after he threatened Linda. Maze escaped and made sure Linda was safe. She’s been there a few hours at least.”

 

“So not Maze. That means…”

 

“Lucifer killed Pierce, who wanted to kill Lucifer. Sounds like a clear-cut case of self-defense to me.”

 

“So why did he run?”

 

“No idea. Maybe there were more bad guys and he went after them?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

The sounds of police sirens reached their ears and soon the officers and detectives arrived. Dan sent Ella a look that said l _ et me do the talking _ and he gave them a carefully edited version of the events that led to Pierce’s death. Chloe woke half-way through the interview and confirmed what he had said in a series of monosyllabic answers. Dan was able to convince the officers that she was clearly in shock, not to mention suffering the effects of being shot in the vest. 

 

After the ambulance arrived and the EMTs checked her over, Dan was allowed to accompany Chloe to the hospital where she was being sent for x-rays and observation while Ella volunteered to stay behind to keep an eye on the scene processing. Chloe was silent for the whole trip and fell asleep almost immediately after being settled into her room. 

 

Dan eyed the large bruise spreading from the point of impact (with fortunately no fractures) and gave a silent prayer of thanks that his ex-wife had taken that extra precaution that morning. As he was studying her he thought he caught a glimpse of someone watching through the window but when he turned to look no one was there. 

 

A few hours later the Captain arrived to question them, Chloe was still asleep so Dan moved out into the hall where he could still keep an eye on her but wouldn’t disturb her slumber.

 

“Captain. What do you need to know?”

 

“I think I know most of it at this point.”

 

“Y-you do?”

 

She nodded. “Funny thing. Three men arrived at the station ready to confess everything. Marcus Pierce was the criminal mastermind known as the Sinnerman. Charlotte Richards was investigating him so he killed her, and he intended to kill you, Detective Decker and Mr. Morningstar when you got too close. One of the men confessed to trying to kill you directly. Does that sound about right to you?”

 

“Y-yes, Ma’am.”

 

“Another funny thing. The amount of damage found in that loft indicated a massive amount of gunfire, but there were only a few bullets recovered. The weapon that killed Lieutenant Pierce was not recovered, but one of those men confessed to taking it and throwing it in the harbor.”

 

“Huh. Why would he do that, Ma’am?”

 

“He didn’t say. At any rate, we are working to collaborate their story, and so far everything checks out. The only thing we can’t figure is this: how did Detective Decker make it out of there alive?”

 

“She was wearing a vest.”

 

“Yes, with one bullet. What happened to the rest?”

 

“I honestly don’t know, Ma’am.”

 

She smiled. “I believe you. I guess it’s just ‘one of those things’.”

 

“I guess so.”

 

“I’m giving both you and Detective Decker a week of paid leave. Both of you need time to grieve, I imagine.”

 

Dan’s expression sobered at the reminder. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

 

“You’re welcome. Kindly pass on my regards to Detective Decker.”

 

“I will.”

“And if you see Mr. Morningstar, tell him we’d like to speak to him.” She gave Dan a sympathetic smile before heading back down the hallway. Dan watched her leave and pulled out his phone to check on Trixie, just as he had while waiting for Chloe’s x-rays. After assuring that his daughter was still safe he returned to Chloe’s room and lowered himself into the chair next to her bed. 

 

As he sat in silence the events of the past few days started to weigh on him, drawing a soft sob from his throat. He still couldn’t believe that Charlotte, that wonderful yet sometimes strange woman was gone. It wasn’t fair, really. They had just started to form a real relationship and now…

 

He glanced up at the window and saw two faces peering in the room, both of which he recognized. He rose from the chair and stepped out into the hall again, surreptitiously wiping the tears from his face.

 

“How is she?” Linda asked as soon as Dan closed the door behind him.

 

“She’s OK. No lasting damage. I think, just, everything finally hit her and…”

 

“She needs the down time. Understood.”

 

“Where’s Lucifer?”

 

He turned to the other woman and started in surprise. “Someone sure did a number on you.”

 

“Yeah. You should see the other guys. Where’s Lucifer?”

 

“No idea. He left the scene before we got there.”

 

“What happened, exactly?” Linda asked, slipping into her therapist voice.

 

Dan sighed. “Where do I even start? After Charlotte was killed--”

 

“Charlotte’s  _ dead? _ ” they exclaimed in unison and Dan sighed again.

 

“Yeah. She was shot, up on one of the hills that overlooks the city. I went back to her apartment...and found evidence that she was investigating Pierce, that he was the Sinnerman.” He glanced at Maze. “I take it you knew that already.” Maze just stared at him and he continued. “I guess he found out she was onto him and he killed her.”

 

“That doesn’t make any damn sense,” Maze growled as Linda gasped in horror. “The only person he wanted to kill was… Oh. Crap.”

 

“Who did Pierce want to kill? Lucifer?”

 

“No. Amenadiel.”

 

“Why in the hell did he want to kill Amenadiel?”

 

She huffed. “You wouldn’t believe me. What happened after you found out about Pierce?”

 

“I told Chloe and Lucifer, and we… We decided to set Pierce up. He sent one of his flunkies to kill me, and when that didn’t work he sent us into a trap.”

 

“Bastard,” Maze muttered.

 

“But what  _ happened _ ?”

 

“I’m really not sure, Linda. When Ella and I got to the loft, Pierce was dead, Lucifer was nowhere to be found and Chloe...she’s not really talking about it.” Maze and Linda shared a look. “What?”

 

“I imagine this whole thing has been very...stressful for Chloe,” Linda replied. She glanced at Maze, who nodded. “Why don’t I stay with her for awhile? You look like you need to go home and get some sleep. I’m sure she’d appreciate having someone... outside of it all to talk to when she wakes up.”

 

“OK. Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks.”

 

“My pleasure.” Linda stepped into Chloe’s room, leaving Dan in the hall with Maze.

 

“You’re not going home, are you?”

 

“There might be more of Pierce’s group out there. Someone needs to keep her safe.”

 

“What about me?”

 

“What about you? You’ve been...a loose canon lately. I don’t think I can trust you.”

 

“You can’t. But  _ Chloe _ can.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, clearly not intent on leaving. He returned the stare and after a few moments she sighed, dropping her gaze. “Look, I know I have some...stuff to make up for. A  _ lot _ of stuff. Let me at least have a chance to get started on it.”

 

“Fine. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

 

Maze said nothing and stood in front of the door to Chloe’s room, her stance indicating that she was on guard and pity the poor fool who tried to get past her.

 

Dan sighed and headed for the elevator. When he finally passed through the front doors of the hospital he stopped, not quite sure how he was going to get home. Just has he was thinking about pulling up his Uber account a taxi pulled up in front of him. The driver leaned into the passenger seat and called out the open window to him.

 

“Need a ride?”

 

Dan debated for a moment and shrugged. “Yeah, I do.” He climbed in the back seat and closed the door, finally making his decision. “Take me to Lux.”

 

The driver met his gaze rearview. “Interesting choice. You OK, buddy?”

 

“Fine. I just need to talk to someone.”

 

“Fair enough.” 

 

Dan leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he would find Lucifer at Lux, but there was at least a chance. Getting the answers he so desperately wanted would still be a challenge once Dan found him, he knew.  _ One thing at a time... _

 

The cab slowed to a halt and Dan jerked awake, surprised that he had managed to doze off.

 

“Here we are. You want me to wait?”

 

“No, it’s fine. This might take awhile. What do I owe you?”

 

“On the house. You look like you could use a break.”

 

“Thanks.” He climbed out of the cab and made his way to the front door where he was waved through without even having to show his badge. He wove his way through the crowd and soon reached the elevator to the penthouse.

 

When the doors opened at the top floor he was not completely surprised to find that the space was dark, with only the lights behind the bar dimly illuminating the large space. 

 

“Lucifer? You here?”

 

He heard the rustle of fabric against leather and saw a dark figure shift slightly on one of the sofas. 

 

“Is the Detective all right?”

 

“She fine. Where have you been?”

 

“Here. Where else would I be?”

 

“Oh, hey, I don’t know. Maybe with your partner?”

 

“I seriously doubt she would want to see me.”

 

“Why, because you killed Pierce?”

 

“Pierce’s hand held the blade when it entered his chest...but mine guided it.”

 

“Self-defense, we know. He was going to kill you.” Lucifer remained silent. “And he deserved it.”

 

“It’s not my place to judge.”

 

“Maybe not, but he still deserved it for what he did to Charlotte.”

 

“An accident, according to him. He didn’t even feel guilt for his actions.”

 

“Then that just proves he deserved it.”

 

“What is it you want, Daniel?”

 

“You need to talk to Chloe. She’s not handling all of this that well.”

 

“Hardly surprising. Did she tell you why?”

 

“No.”

 

“Also not surprising. Believe me, she’s better off without me.”

 

“Bull! She cares about you, Lucifer.  _ Really _ cares about you, despite all of the other crap you’ve pulled. Whatever happened this time you can work it out.”

 

“Trust me, there is no working this out.”

 

“Did  _ she _ say that?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then it’s still possible. It’s still possible because…” He felt the tears start to burn his eyes as the volume of his voiced increased until he was shouting. “Because she’s still alive! You get that chance because she’s still  _ alive! _ ” He turned and almost ran to the elevator before Lucifer’s voice brought him to a halt.

 

“Daniel. I… I am sorry. I truly am. For Charlotte.”

 

“Yeah? Why didn’t you tell us about this before? You could have prevented what happened.”

 

“I didn’t know Pierce would...do what he did.”

 

“And if you had?”

 

He heard a soft sigh. “I would have protected her. She was important to me as well.”

 

Dan remained silent for several moments as he struggled to bring himself back under control, managing to remind himself that yes, Lucifer had lost someone close to him as well. He began to realize the guilt the man must be feeling. It didn’t excuse his behavior but it helped bring Dan’s anger under control.

 

“The Captain wants to talk to you. In person. Sooner rather than later.” He paused. “Don’t leave town. Got it?”

 

Another soft sigh. “You have my word.”

 

Dan stepped into the elevator, smacking the button for the ground floor and turned around as the doors slid shut.  When he finally arrived back at the club level he pushed his way back through the crowds and out to the front entrance where a cab waited. He was surprised to see that it was the same driver.

 

“Guess it didn’t take as long as you thought,” the driver greeted him cheerfully and frowned when he noticed Dan’s expression. “Are you OK?”

 

“Fine.” He climbed into the cab and, after a moment’s hesitation he gave the driver Chloe’s address. He needed to check on Trixie and he could crash there for a few hours. He doubted Chloe would mind.

 

When they reached Chloe’s apartment he paid the driver--ignoring his offer of a second ‘on the house’ ride-- and approached the patrol car parked out front, badge in hand. They examined his badge and gave him permission to continue on to the building. He slowly walked up to the front door and  knocked a couple of times. The door was opened by a middle-aged woman who was only vaguely familiar. She studied him with a wary expression before opening the door wide enough for him to enter.

 

“Detective Espinoza. Where is Detective Decker?”

 

“She’s OK. She’s just spending the night at the hospital for observation. Where’s Trixie?”

 

“Sleeping, finally. It took forever for her to calm down after she heard her mother might not be home tonight.”

 

“She’ll be home tomorrow.”

 

“Good.” She gathered up her things. “Goodnight, Detective.”

 

“Goodnight, uh…”

 

“Marne.”

 

“Marne. Right. Sorry.”

 

With a soft chuckle she shook her head and left. Dan quickly locked the door before he quietly slipped into Trixie’s room. She was indeed fast asleep, one arm wrapped around a stuffed tiger he hadn’t seen before. After gently kissing her forehead he headed back out into the living room where he settled into the armchair with a line of sight for both Trixie’s room and the front door. Despite the whirlwind of thoughts twisting through his mind, it wasn’t long before he was fast asleep.

 

“Daddy!”

 

Dan woke with a start and barely had enough time to brace himself before Trixie flung herself into his arms. He hugged her in return and she leaned back to study him with worried brown eyes.

 

“Where’s Mommy?”

 

“She’s fine. She just got a little banged up on her last case so the doctors wanted to keep an eye on her overnight. She’ll be home later today.” He checked his watch and groaned. “You’re going to be late for school.”

 

“It’s Saturday.”

 

“Oh, right. Breakfast?”

 

“Waffles?”

 

Dan winced and then forced a smile. “Sure. Waffles it is.”

 

Trixie settled unto the sofa to watch cartoons and Dan headed to the kitchen. He checked his phone and was surprised to see that Amenadiel hadn’t called back. He had a text from Linda, telling him Chloe was fine, and a text from Ella, a simple ‘need 2 talk’. He texted back ‘@ Chloe’s, come over’ and started to search the kitchen for waffle ingredients. 

 

He had the first batch mixed and the iron heating when he heard a knock on the door.

 

“I’ll get it!” Trixie yelled and ran to answer.

 

“No, Trixie, wait!” 

 

She turned to look at him in confusion. “Why?”

 

“Just...let me get it.” He checked the peephole and sighed softly in relief before opening the door. 

 

“Dan, there is something really weird...hi, Trixie.”

 

“Ella!” 

 

They shared a quick hug but Dan could see her heart wasn’t in it. Luckily Trixie didn’t notice. 

 

“Daddy is making breakfast. Can you stay?”

 

Ella glanced at Dan, who nodded. “Sure, I can stay.”

 

“Monkey, why don’t you go watch your cartoons? I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

 

“And you’re going to talk about grown-up stuff, right?”

 

“Just work stuff, kiddo. Nothing you have to worry about.”

 

She gave him a look that indicated she knew he wasn’t giving her the whole story before she returned to the living room.

 

“What’s up?” Dan asked in a low voice as he poured the first ladle of batter onto the iron.

 

“This whole thing is just...majorly weird. Like the bullets. There were just so many cartridge casings, both on the floor and the balcony above. A bunch of people clearly fired down onto the center of the room, but there weren’t enough bullet holes in the floor. There was a spot about six or seven feet in diameter that was almost bare, like there was some, I don’t know, protective dome over the spot.”

 

“That  _ is _ weird. What else?”

 

“Well, one of the bad guys was shot by the gun we found next to another bad guy. Why did he shoot his partner? And  _ he  _ wasn’t shot, just knocked unconscious. Oh, and his bruises? Almost like someone threw him into that column.”

 

“Chloe said she saw Lucifer throw a guy through a glass window once, one-handed, so maybe it was him.”

 

“Maybe. But there are a lot of other things that don’t make sense. That big window? It was broken inward, and something hit the finials on the staircase railing hard enough to shatter them, in the same direction as the glass from the window.”

 

“Could have been that way before.”

 

“No, the layering of the debris said otherwise. One thing I  _ can  _ tell you is that there was one heck of a fight in that room.” She glanced at Trixie, who appeared to absorbed in her cartoons. “It’s a freaking miracle that Chloe walked out of there without a scratch. Have you seen Lucifer? How bad did he look?”

 

“Went to see him last night but I didn’t get a close look at him. He admitted to...dealing with Pierce, though. I told him the Captain wanted to see him and not to leave town. God knows what story he’ll give her.”

 

“It’s not going to matter anyway. They’re already trying to figure out how to spin this.”

 

Dan felt a surge of anger. “Like they did with Malcolm.”

 

“Who’s Malcolm?”

 

“Corrupt cop, went nuts and killed a bunch of people and tried to pin it on Lucifer. Kidnapped Trixie. Tried to kill Chloe, but she got the drop on him.” He paused, forehead wrinkling in consternation. “Lucifer was mixed up in that somehow, too. Some things didn’t add up then, either.”

 

“Things are always weird around Lucifer. But you have to admit, he was right about Pierce.”

 

“Yeah, only because he knew about the whole Sinnerman thing. I still can’t believe he didn’t tell us.”

 

“I’m sure he had a good reason.”

 

“Daddy, the waffles are burning!” 

 

“Crap.” He opened the iron and flipped the ruined waffle into the sink. “Thanks, Monkey.”

 

Dan took a few deep breaths to bring his anger under control before starting a new waffle. 

 

“Forgive me if I doubt that he has a good reason for anything,” Dan growled. “Other than his whole devil delusion thing. The guy is certifiable.”

 

“Maybe. But I do think there’s a lot more going on with him than he lets on. And not all of it is crazy.”

 

“You know something I don’t?”

 

Ella sighed. “I know the real reason behind the whole Vegas-slash-Candy thing. It’s not what you think. He was actually helping her and...the marriage thing? Only to keep up with his whole no-lying rule.”

 

“Whatever. Still doesn’t excuse a lot of the other things he’s done.” Dan removed the perfectly cooked waffle from the iron and slid it onto a plate. “Trixie, breakfast!”

 

She ran into the kitchen and started to fix her waffle the way she liked it. “Thanks, Daddy.” She studied the two adults. “More grown-up stuff?”

 

“Yeah, just a few more things. Why don’t you go eat in front of the TV?”

 

“Because Mommy says no,” she replied before hopping up on one of the counter stools.

 

“Right.” 

 

Soon he had finished up the batter and he and Ella joined Trixie in silence. After they had all eaten their fill he sent Trixie to her room to get dressed.

 

“Anything else I should know about?” Dan asked as he started to clean up the kitchen.

 

“Well, our ‘guest’ fully admitted to trying to kill you, and that Pierce sent him. He also admitted that he knew Pierce was responsible for what happened to Charlotte and the whole Sinnerman thing. The other two backed up his story. The thing is, they were pretty clearly terrified. Practically begged to be locked up.”

 

“Probably worried about the rest of Pierce’s crew.”

 

“Maybe. Or maybe  _ someone _ paid them a visit.”

 

Dan huffed. “Of course. He said he’d been at Lux, but…”

 

“He says he doesn’t lie. Guess we’ll have to ask him.”

 

“Yeah. Sure.” 

 

Trixie emerged from her room with a hopeful smile on her face. “Can we go get Mommy now?”

 

“Sure.” He looked down at his flour-dusted clothes. “Daddy needs to get cleaned up a bit, first.”

 

“Just a minute,” Ella offered and left the apartment, returning a few minutes later with a small duffle that Dan recognized as his ‘go-bag’. “Here. This should help.”

 

“That was in my car. How--?”

 

“Drove it back from the scene. I grabbed the keys and locked it when you… you know.”

 

“Right. Thanks.” He grabbed the bag and made his way to the bathroom. Less than ten minutes later he emerged, hair still wet but feeling almost human again. Ella and Trixie were on the sofa, both laughing at the TV.

 

“Ready, Trixie?”

 

She jumped up and ran to the door as Ella turned off the TV and tossed Dan his keys. 

 

“Do you mind staying? I don’t have a key to lock up.” Trixie ran back to her room and brought him a key. “Thanks, Monkey.” He turned to Ella. “Do you want to come with us?”

 

“Can you take me back to the station? I still have a ton of stuff to do, but I’ll stop by later.”

 

“Yeah, of course.”

 

Ella had taken the liberty of packing some clean clothes for Dan to take to Chloe and soon they were on the road. After dropping Ella off at the precinct he drove to the hospital. Maze was still waiting outside Chloe’s door and he felt Trixie stiffen next to him as should caught sight of the woman. Maze crouched down to Trixie’s level and gave her an almost shy smile.

 

“Hey, Little Human.”

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” Trixie looked away and Dan saw expression of regret cross Maze’s face. “Can we talk?” After a few moments Trixie met her gaze and nodded. Maze looked up at Dan who, after noting the presence of a guard standing by the waiting area, also gave his consent. Trixie followed Maze over to the seats and Dan opened the door and stepped into Chloe’s room. 

 

“Hey, Dan,” Linda greeted him and Chloe gave him a welcoming smile. She was sitting up in bed and he was relieved to see that she seemed much calmer, much more settled then she had yesterday.

 

“How are you feeling, Chloe?”

 

“Better, thanks,” she replied with a glance at Linda. “I’ve gotten a little...perspective.”

 

“That’s good.” He placed the bag of clothes on the bed. “Are they ready to release you?”

 

“The nurse said the doctor will be in to check on her in about an hour,” Linda replied and sent Chloe a look that Dan couldn’t immediately interpret.

 

“Thanks for staying, Linda.”

 

“You’re quite welcome.” She checked her watch. “I need to get ready to see a patient. If you need anything else…”   
  


“I’m OK.”

 

“Thanks, Linda, for staying with her.”

 

“No problem. And Dan? I’m so sorry for your loss. If  _ you _ need anything…”

 

Dan felt his eyes start to sting. “Thanks.”

 

She patted his shoulder as she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

 

“How’s Trixie?”

 

“She’s fine. She and Maze are talking.” He saw a flash of worry cross Chloe’s face. “They’re out in the waiting area. There’s a guard.”

 

Chloe gave a soft huff of laughter. “OK.” She met his gaze. “How are  _ you _ doing?”

 

“Been better. It’s going to take time.” He snorted. “Guess I’ve got a week. The Captain gave us both a that much time off with pay. Probably wants us out of the way for the fallout.” He sat down on the edge of her bed. “What happened, Chloe?”

 

“Dan, I...I really don’t remember much, but what I do...I can’t talk about it, not right now.”

 

“Not with me, you mean,” he snapped and winced a second later. “Sorry.”

 

“It’s OK. It’s just too raw right now. Linda helped, but she did most of the talking.” She looked up at him. “I’m still just processing everything. Like you said, it’s going to take time.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

She reached out and placed her hand on his wrist. “We’ll get through it. All of us.”

 

Dan remained silent, not trusting his voice at the moment. They remained like that until the door open and Trixie came running in with a smile on her face.

 

“Mommy!” 

 

Dan caught her before she jumped on Chloe and gently set her down on the bed on Chloe’s uninjured side. Trixie hugged her mother enthusiastically and Chloe returned the hug.

 

“Are you OK, Mommy?”

 

“I’m fine.” She glanced up and stiffened when she noticed Maze who was watching the reunion with an unreadable expression. She returned her attention to Trixie. “Are you OK?”

 

She nodded. “I talked to Maze. We’re good, now.”

 

“That’s...good to hear.” She glanced at Maze again who nodded and backed out of the room without a word.

 

“When can you go home?”

 

“Pretty soon.” She eyed the bag Dan had dropped on the bed. “I guess I better get ready.”

 

Dan handed her the bag and helped her make it to the bathroom before closing the door gently behind her. He saw Trixie watching him with a worried expression.

 

“What did you and Maze talk about?” he asked as a means of distraction.

 

“She told me she was sorry for the mean things she said and that she’s going to try and be a better friend. We talked about planning my birthday party. She said it would be much better than Mommy’s last party.”

 

“I’ll bet. How many of your friends are invited?”

 

“Well...I kinda want my grown-up friends to come. Maze, of course, Miss Ella, Miss Charlotte--”

 

“Honey…” Dan felt like he’d been kicked in the gut as he knelt down in front of her. “I need to tell you something. Charlotte, she…” He fought the lump rising in his throat. “She’s gone.”

 

“Gone where?”

 

Dan took a deep breath. “She died, Trixie.”

 

Trixie’s eyes widened in horror and he pulled her into a tight hug. He could feel the hitches in her breath as she cried. After a few minutes she grew quiet.

 

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

 

“Me to, Monkey. Me too.”

 

He heard the bathroom door open and looked up at Chloe who was watching them with concern.

 

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

 

“I, uh...Charlotte. Trixie wanted to invite her to her party and…”

 

“Oh.” She held her arms open for Trixie and she ran to her mother, hugging her tightly. Dan stood awkwardly and Chloe met his gaze before motioning for him to join them and he wrapped his arms around them both.

 

A brief knock at the door a few minutes later broke the embrace and they all looked towards the door as a man in a dark blue scrubs entered the room.

 

“Ms. Decker, I...sorry. Is everything alright?”

 

“Fine,” Chloe and Dan replied in unison.

 

“Ah, good, OK. I’m Dr. Freeman. I’m here to give Ms. Decker her pre-release examination.”

 

“We can step out,” Dan said as he held Trixie’s hand.

 

“It will just be a few minutes.”

 

Dan led Trixie out into the hall and a few minutes later the doctor emerged. “I’ll send one of the nurses to take her down to the entrance.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

They walked back into the room where Chloe was sitting in the chair, reading a printed sheet. She looked up at them and smiled.

 

“Everything OK?”

 

“Yeah. He told me to take it easy for a day or two.”

Trixie climbed into her lap and Chloe wrapped her arms around her, resting her cheek on the top of Trixie’s head. A few minutes later the nurse arrived with a wheelchair and after Chloe was settled into it the nurse rolled her out into the hall and towards the elevator.

 

Once they were finally in the car Dan turned to Chloe.

 

“Where to? Home?”

 

“Yeah. Home is fine.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yeah Dan, I’m sure.”

 

“Got it.”

 

The drive to Chloe’s apartment took a little longer than usual, but all three remained silent for the whole trip. Dan knew that Chloe wouldn’t talk until she was ready, and there was no use pushing the issue. One thing was for certain: he was going to figure out what had happened in that loft, come Hell or high water.

 

Somehow…

 

To Be Continued

  
  
  
  
  



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